


5 Times Shuri and Peter Quoted Vines and 1 Time They Didn't

by MysteryElle



Series: Shuri and Peter Quoting Vines [1]
Category: Black Panther (2018), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Crack-ish, Gen, Her Majesty the Queen of Wakanda is Exasperated, Hijinks & Shenanigans, Humor, MJ is a mastermind, Ned is sunshine boi, None of these tags are unoriginal so I had to type them all, Peter and Shuri are Buds, Science buddies, Shuri knows all, Son Peter Parker, T'Challa needs a nap, The Falcon is there for like ten seconds, but neither of them know it, dad tony stark, got bored, here ya go
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 10:20:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16239647
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MysteryElle/pseuds/MysteryElle
Summary: Exactly what the title says. Might do another one if this one gets good reviews.





	5 Times Shuri and Peter Quoted Vines and 1 Time They Didn't

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to my darling gf for giving me the idea and vines to reference.

From the moment Tony first heard of Wakanda, he knew Peter would be over the moon. The technological advances alone were almost too good to believe, let alone the government and medicinal processes. The jet hadn’t even touched down yet and he could already read the awe on his apprentice’s face clear as day from where he was pressed against one of the windows. 

 

After a smooth landing, the two disboarded to meet the Wakandan royal family. “Remember,” Tony hissed with a hand on Peter’s shoulder, “be respectful and follow my lead.”

 

Peter nodded and whispered back, “Right. Got it. Totally cool.” 

 

The walk from the small landing pad on the side of the building was too short, and soon enough they were face to face with T’challa, the queen, and a younger girl. 

 

“Welcome,” T’challa said with a warm smile, “before we head inside, I’d like you to meet my mother,” The woman with the tall headdress nodded, expression stern. “And my younger sister.”

 

The girl grinned and gave a short wave. “I’m Shuri. Do you like science?”

 

“Umm...yes?” Peter answered hesitantly. 

 

“Cool! Let’s go.” She spun on her heel and started walking back up the landing. 

 

Peter started to visibly panic. “Uh, um, Mr. Stark?” He glanced at Tony, eyes wide and confused.

 

T’challa put him at ease with a sigh. “Don’t mind her. We pulled her out of her lab to greet you.”

 

“I’m surprised she stayed out this long,” The Queen spoke with amusement in her tone. Behind her, she called, “Shuri! Wait for your guest!” 

 

“Yes, mother!” 

 

Tony nudged Peter towards the princess. “What, you gonna disobey royalty? Go, play nice.” He made a shooing motion towards the building. 

 

Peter, now feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, let his curiosity overtake him and ran after Shuri.

 

“Kids drive us all crazy, don’t worry.” Tony tore his eyes away from watching to make sure Peter didn’t trip and met the Queen’s smiling eyes. “I remember when this one was young. Always so serious!” For good measure, she reached up and ruffled T’Challa’s short hair.

 

“Mother, please.” And maybe it was the fact that the king of a small country was so easily humbled by his mother that made Tony feel more comfortable with letting Peter run off alone. How much trouble could they get into in a palace full of scary looking guards?

 

None, he told himself.

 

* * *

 

Peter and Shuri had already begun to make their way to the elevators, while Shuri filled the silence explaining what she was working on. Peter was just trying to keep up.

 

“Right now I don’t know if it’ll work, because I can’t use the main lab for personal projects. I’ve just been building the fabric base for now, and hopefully I can get the gloves and hands to stick without using some kind of adhesive because really, who would want to clean  _ that _ ?” She gave a theatrical shudder as they entered the elevators. “Can you imagine cleaning artificial spider web residue off of stuff? No thanks, not for me. I don’t know how Spider-man does it!”

 

“Wait, you know Spider-man?” Peter couldn’t help but interrupt, then drew back, worried about her reaction. 

 

But she just grinned wider. “Are you kidding? He’s the best!” The elevator doors slid closed and she lifted her hand. A holographic video of one of Peter’s earlier patrols, before he’d gotten the suit, played in front of him. “I love the underdog story he has. See, he went from this,” She swiped her other hand, and security footage of him doing battle with Falcon and Winter Soldier in the airport some odd years ago played through. “To this! That’s a glow-up if I’ve ever seen one!” 

 

Peter glanced at her smiling face and eyes shining with glee. He couldn’t even pay full attention to the internet term she’d used, because he was left reeling. A princess was a fan of his. She liked his story and was working on something involving Spider-man. Shuri was awesome. 

 

“So what are you working on?” He asked.

 

She turned a look at him, not irritated, but still confused. “Why was I talking if you weren’t listening? Okay, well,” She lowered her hand, and the hologram disappeared. “Let me just show you.”

 

The elevator doors opened up to reveal heaven itself. Well, not really, but, Peter thought, if there was a heaven out there, this was his. Machines and plans of all kinds lined the walls, and robots were building robots in at least three places. Papers were scattered about, each probably containing technology plans that would have other scientists drooling at the chance to even glance at it. But what stood out the most to Peter, was the familiar red and blue pattern laying flat on a table.

 

“You…” He approached slowly, jaw slack in amazement, “you built a Spider-man suit?” 

 

“Yeah!” Shuri bounced past him and hit a few buttons along the table it lay on so the surface rose up to slowly sit upright. “I laced the fabric with vibranium, so it’s practically indestructible. I just can’t get the composition for web formulas correct, but I’m getting there! And I’ve had a few algorithms running since this morning to find a way to let me stick to walls and all that.” She continued on happily. 

 

Peter blinked at the design in front of him and came to a decision. “Sorry,” he interrupted Shuri and started inching away from the table. “Give me one second.” Before she could so much as ask, Peter was pacing towards a back corner of the lab.

 

In under two seconds, he had his cell phone out and was dialing Tony. 

 

“ _ Kid, I am just a little busy. _ ”

 

“I know, sorry, just...it’s okay if they know who we are, right? Like, our super-people names, right?” 

 

“ _ Okay, first: super-people? Really? Second: I don’t care, that much should be obvious. Your identity is yours, I won’t tell you what to do with it. _ ”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Stark!” 

 

Before Tony could get another word out, Peter hung up and ran back to Shuri. The princess startled at his sudden haste, but was back to confused when she saw Peter grabbing a journal and flipping to an open page. 

 

“Hi, owner of the lab here, what are you doing?” She asked with no small amount of snark. 

 

“One sec,” Peter mumbled while he finished jotting down his equation. “Here!” He held up the paper triumphantly. “This is the web formula, and lemme just…”

 

Shuri took the page and observed it critically, then understanding washed over her features and she could only stare in shock as Peter hopped around on one foot, struggling to get his tennis shoe off. His uniform was under his clothes and made it hard to disconnect his foot from his shoe. 

 

At last, he accomplished his mission and propped his uniformed ankle up on the table. “And you can take the designs from my suit that let me stick! I mean, technically it’s  _ me _ that sticks to stuff, but the suit mimics it so I don’t have to run around barefoot.”

 

“You’re Spider-man?” Shuri asked in amazement. 

 

“Yeah,” Peter replied, trying to puff out his chest despite his leg being propped up so high. “That’s me.” 

 

Shuri read through the formula on paper once more, glanced at Peter’s shoe, and grinned slowly. “We’re going to get along just fine, Peter.”

 

* * *

 

Twenty-five minutes later, and Shuri and Peter were wreaking havoc on the grand halls of the palace. Shuri had gotten the hang of the web shooters rather quickly and was using this to her full advantage. Peter was just following behind her, catching the occasional falling artifact and straightening paintings after she’d altered their positions. 

 

Shuri stopped, hanging upside down on the ceiling, after deeming herself bored of swinging through her home. “Okay, now let’s go outside!” 

 

Before Peter could object, she knocked open a skylight and scrambled into the open air. “Shuri, wait!” Peter swung after her, and found the princess of Wakanda walking sideways on the glass wall of the skyscraper palace. It took him a moment to take in the breathtaking view of the city, but he shook out of it quickly. “I don’t think we’re allowed to be out here!” 

 

Shuri ignored his concern and kept walking along the wall. He was sure she was grinning beneath her mask when she turned to him. “I’m the princess, Peter. I do what I want.” And with that, she stepped off the wall.

 

Peter may or may not have let slip a few words Tony had forbidden him from saying, ever, under any circumstances, but he leaped after her just the same. 

 

She was laughing in her freefall, no doubt ready to handle herself and swing from a building, but all Peter could think about was his first time swinging in the city, and how many times he’d almost become a splatter on someone’s office window. Running on pure instinct, Peter shot a web at her while simultaneously firing a web above him to create a rope for him to swing from. The splatter of web pushed Shuri against the wall and pinned her shoulders effectively, leaving her in a slumped posture with her back against the wall.

 

Peter bounced back on his web and landed in a sideways crouch next to her. He hoped his mask showed that he was glaring when he leaned back an crossed his arms. Suri, however, was still laughing.

 

“How can you laugh?!” Peter’s voice cracked on the last word, but he kept on. “You could have died! What would I have told--”

 

But Shuri held up a hand, still giggling behind her mask. She took a few breaths in to calm herself before she choked out “ _ I don’t need no degree to be a clothing hanger _ .” 

 

Against his will, a snort of laughter escaped Peter, and he tried to reel it in. “No.  _ No. _ Shuri, this is not the time for vine references!” 

 

She let out a content sigh. “There’s never a wrong time. And no, I wouldn’t have  _ died _ ! I have web shooters just like you.” 

 

“But still--!” Peter’s attempt at a lecture was interrupted by a notification chime in his mask. 

 

“ _ Your father is calling, Peter _ ,” Karen announced pleasantly. Before Peter could reply with any form of denial, Tony’s voice came through.

 

“ _ Peter. Why is the crown princess of Wakanda stuck to the side of the palace we’re never getting invited back to? _ ”

 

Peter almost fell off the side of the building. “Uhm, well, you see Mr. Dad-- _ Mr. Stark _ , we were just--”

 

“ _ Leaving. Get her down,  _ safely _ , and get back to the jet. _ ”

 

The call ended with a beep and Peter visibly slumped. “Shuri, we have to get down. Mr. Stark and I are leaving early.” 

 

“What?!” She sounded indignant, “Why?” 

 

Movement through the window caught Peter’s eye, and he glanced behind Shuri to meet the icy glare of the Wakandan royal family. The disapproval in their eyes was nothing compared to the underlying fury in Tony’s who stood with his arms crossed behind them. 

 

Shuri followed his paralyzed gaze and strained her neck to see her mother. 

 

“Oh, shit.” 

 

And really, Peter couldn’t have said it better himself.

 

* * *

 

Tony was really angry, Peter thought. He hadn’t stopped lecturing him on the proper way to address royalty and the unspoken rule about letting said royalty jump off buildings the entire plane ride. Now they were driving back through the city to bring Peter home and he was still going strong. 

 

Peter had tuned him out when he started repeating himself. Now he was staring out the window at the passing traffic while they were stuck at a red light. The city was especially busy today, as was to be expected at this time of day. Peter honestly wouldn’t have noticed the generic yellow cab if not for the lively fiesta music blasting from the open windows. That, and the familiar face in the backseat clapping along to the beat.

 

Shuri was almost unrecognizable in her too-big sunglasses and Red Socks Sweatshirt. She looked such a far cry from the princess he’d seen not hours ago he doubted that it was actually her. But there was no mistaking the mischievous grin on her lips when she glanced at her wrist and two holographic maracas materialized in her hands. She was still shaking them to the beat, smile beaming directly at Peter while they pulled away. 

 

“Peter, are you even listening to me?!” 

 

Tony’s reprimand made him realize that he had been stretching at an unnatural angle to stare at the cab for as long as he could. He snapped back forward and gestured behind him. “Shuri! Princess Shuri was in a taxi with Louis Voton glasses and maracas!”

 

Tony pressed his lips together, looking like he as considering staying quiet. But his worry and confusion won out and he asked, “Peter, what the hell are you saying?” He sounded like he really didn’t want to know.

 

“Shuri! In the--In the taxi! Quoting vines!”

 

“Kid, what the hell, are you having a stroke?”

 

Peter shook his head quickly, “No! I swear the Princess of Wakanda is in New York, waving maracas at me!”

 

Tony took a deep breath in through his nose, then let it out through his mouth slowly. “Peter. Why, in any one of the nine levels of hell, would royalty be shaking maracas at you.” It wasn’t worded like a question.

 

“You didn’t see her!”

 

“Do you see her now? Is she in the car with us?” 

 

“I swear, she was there!”

 

And the argument continued well past after Tony parked the car under the Avengers tower and during their elevator ride up to the lounge. 

 

Tony finally attempted to end the argument with the declaration, “Peter, I’m having your brain scanned.”

 

But the teenager only slumped and muttered, “Again?” 

 

The elevator doors opened silently and Tony froze. Peter bumped into him but peered out behind him to see what made him stop.

 

Shuri grinned from her spot sprawled on the couch. Her sunglasses rest on her head and her smile had never been wider. “Hello, Mr. Top 1% and Apprentice!” She greeted in a cheerful voice.

 

Peter gasped with a happy grin. “See! I told you I’m not crazy!”

 

Tony ignored both of them and instead turned to Sam, who was scrolling through his phone at the bar. “Wilson. Why is there another teenager in my house?” His voice was scarily monotone.

 

“Hm?” The Falcon grunted and glanced at Shuri. “She said she knew Peter.” 

 

“So you  _ let her into my home _ ?” 

 

He shrugged. “She’s cool.” And that was apparently the end of it because he turned back to his phone without a single concern.

 

“I’m studying abroad at Peter’s school. I decided four hours ago.” She dropped her sunglasses back over her eyes. “Hope you’re ready for me, world!”

 

From the cabinet, where Tony had already grabbed the sweetest liquor he owned, he mumbled in a sing-song voice, “God help us...” Before taking a swig.

 

* * *

 

When showing the Princess of the most advanced culture in the world around a typical American high school, Peter thought, it was important to know that there as no possible way to impress either party involved. There is just no way to brag about a school that still uses the same clocks it was originally built with. In the forties. So really, Peter was just a tour guide. 

 

“And down that hall is the cafeteria, but don’t eat there,” Peter instructed. 

 

“Why?” 

 

“It’s where everyone else eats.” 

 

She nodded. “That’s fair.”

 

“Peter!” A voice called through the morning swarm of students. Ned ran to catch up with him, not noticing Shuri for the moment. “Did you hear about what MJ did?!” 

 

“What? No, who’s dead?” Thousands of scenarios were running through Peter’s mind, none of them good.

 

Ned just snorted out a laugh. “No one, stop freaking out. She managed to convince the student council to let her pick the morning music instead of those dumb 70’s songs.” 

 

Shuri, who had been observing silently, spoke up. “Morning music?” 

 

“Oh, shoot,” Peter gestured between Shuri and Ned. “Ned, this is Shuri. Shuri, Ned. And the morning music is some random song the announcements play to get us,” he threw up finger quotes, “ “motivated to learn” or whatever.” 

 

Ned nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, and it’s always some dumb motivation track that nobody knows. But nooowww…” He grinned at the both of them. “Our friend MJ is in charge of the playlist, so we’ll finally get some quality up in this joint!”

 

Shuri raised one eyebrow with practiced perfection to pull off a Look™ that portrayed about a dozen emotions at once. “We’ll see.”

 

The boys looked at each other, suddenly nervous but unable to place exactly why. 

 

“ _ Good Morning Midtown! _ ” The forced cheerfulness of the student council president projected through the school. Most ignored it, but the trio waited patiently for their friend’s music selection to wreak havoc on the student body. 

 

While the announcements were relayed, Ned nudged Peter. “So who’s your pretty foreign friend?” Peter did not miss the suggestive wiggle Ned put into his eyebrows. 

 

“Shuri,” He stayed carefully neutral. “She’s a transfer student from Wakanda.” 

 

“Whoa, really?!” Ned’s outburst destroyed whatever semblance of privacy he was trying to maintain, and got Shuri’s attention. 

 

The princess barely even spared them a glance, and instead smiled and waved to a point behind them. “Hi!”

 

“Sup?” MJ’s sudden presence made the boy’s jump, but she ignored them and stepped up to Shuri. They looked each other up and down before they both came to a conclusion, and fist-bumped. “Name’s Michelle.” 

 

“Shuri.” The princess leaned back and crossed her arms. “You changed the morning music?” 

 

MJ nodded. “You’ll see why.”

 

“But wait,” Peter realized a crucial part of the equation, “you’re not even on the student council. How did you convince them to put you in charge?”

 

“Like this,” Slowly, while keeping eye contact, MJ reached into her inner jacket pocket and pulled out an open juice box. She took a noisy sip while staring Peter down, then put it back into her jacket. “Now imagine that for twenty-seven minutes.” 

 

Frankly, Peter was surprised the president had lasted one.  

 

“Oh, here we go!” Ned announced as the speakers clicked off and a familiar beat began to play. 

 

As one, every student stopped what they were doing and remained frozen for the entire intro of the song. Except for MJ, who was staring out over her kingdom with a maliciously gleeful smile. 

 

As the electro piano of A-ha’s 1985 single Take Me On came in, the students burst into action. Peter and Ned immediately started running around each other, bent low with their arms out and bent down at the elbows. Some others looked over their bouncing shoulders suddenly with sunglasses on. While the faculty in the halls and looking out from their classrooms watched on with mixtures of confusion and fear. 

 

MJ chuckled next to Shuri. “Sheep.”

 

When Shuri looked over to beg for mentorship, she had vanished. 

 

The staff immediately tried to get the situation under control, even if they didn’t necessarily know what exactly the situation was. Peter, Ned, and Shuri went unnoticed as they were already recognized as being some of the more well-behaved kids in the halls. 

 

Peter was laughing freely after spinning to a stop next to Ned. “Gotta love MJ!”

 

“She’s an evil genius that could strike fear into the heart of Loki himself.” Ned agreed solemnly. “I should head to class before we go into lockdown or something stupid. Bye Peter. Bye Shuri, it was cool meeting you!” Before either one could reply, he was already lost to the crowds of students rushing to their own rooms. 

 

“That was amazing,” Shuri said with awe. “Is your whole generation as invested in vine references as I’m hoping you are?”

 

Huh, Peter thought, all it had taken to impress her was a school-wide flash mob to the tune of a 1980’s meme classic. “Yeah, pretty much,” He answered. 

 

Shuri grinned, and Peter felt a portion of the unnerving energy MJ could weaponize wash over him. “I see,” she drew out the words to give Peter just enough time to think  _ Oh no _ before continuing. “Then I issue a challenge, Peter Parker!”

 

He blinked, then schooled his expression. “Continue.”

 

“A test of knowledge and determination!’ She continued dramatically. “One person starts a vine reference, and the other has to finish it. No matter where we are, what we’re doing, or who we’re with. Failure to know the reference or refusal to finish the vine means you lose.” 

 

“Hmm,” Peter thought, “One, no, two conditions.” Shuri nodded for him to continue. “We do this sparingly, so we don’t spiral into vine hell. And two, only vines. No memes or other references to keep this contained.”

 

“Deal.” Shuri grinned and stuck out her hand. “And no repeating vines or stealing opportunities from the other.” 

 

“Agreed.” Peter shook on it earnestly. “May the best Gen-Z kid win.” 

 

“I will, thanks.” Shuri teased.

 

The challenge was issued, the board is set, and the world waited for the whoever would make the first move. 

 

The day proceeded pretty normally after that. Neither teen did anything worse than eye the other suspiciously, and they actually had a pretty good day at school. Shuri didn’t learn anything new in regards to curriculum, but she did learn that she could flick precisely eleven wads of paper into Peter’s hair before he noticed. Strangely enough, they didn’t see MJ again, even though Peter said they shared classes.

 

“It’s highly likely that she only came to school to watch the results of the first stage of her campus takeover,” Ned explained at lunch. “Don’t worry, she’ll be back. She still has to finish steps two through ten.” 

 

It wasn’t until they were leaving the school that Shuri stopped suddenly, eyes glued to the trashcan a few yards in front of them. Peter stopped and waited for her, but after following her line of sight he stiffened. 

 

“Shuri,” he begged. She was smiling. “Don’t. Please. I have to go home.”

 

She just looked up and took a breath in before singing quietly. “ _ Fuck this shit, I’m out _ .” 

 

And Peter, unwilling to follow through but more unwilling to admit defeat so early on, was moving before she finished. After throwing his backpack aside and taking a slight running start, he dropped himself into the trash can, which rolled further into the courtyard. Peter’s feet stuck straight up in the air as the yellow can traveled into the more populated area of the yard, leaving him with no option for privacy to escape. 

 

Shuri, meanwhile, was dying of laughter on the sidelines.

 

The first shot had been fired.

 

* * *

 

Tony was a tired man. On top of running a company, he was partially responsible for a superpowered super-genius teenager, and now that teenager had a super-genius friend who ran away from her royal family to study abroad at a cruddy highschool and make Tony’s life ten thousand times more complicated. 

 

“Yes, she’s fine.” Tony sighed into his cell-phone. “I told Peter to keep her title on the down-low so no assassins will come after her. 

 

“ _ I want her home, Stark _ .” T’Challa’s voice was stern and left no room for argument. “ _ She knows how much trouble she’s in. Mother nearly had a heart attack! _ ”

 

“Hey, I didn’t invite her to the states!” 

 

A sigh, “ _ I know. Just please, make sure she gets home safely. She’s turned off her locator so I can’t tell where she is and get her myself. _ ”

 

“Understood, your majesty.” Tony flicked the cap off of a bottle of seltzer water. “The princess will get back safe and sound, no harm done.” 

 

“ _ Thank you, Stark. _ ” And with that, he hung up. 

 

Tony sat back on his couch with a sigh. How did it come to this?

 

The elevator doors slid open and Tony was on his feet again. Peter and Shuri froze in the doorway, both looking guilty. “How was school?” Tony asked pleasantly.

 

Shuri, unused to the hidden lecturing agendas of Tony Stark relaxed and smiled. “It was great! Peter’s friends are really funny and he jumped into a garbage can!”

 

“What.”

 

Peter started to sputter out an explanation, but Tony interrupted. “Is that what that smell is?! Peter, explain yourself.”

 

And Peter, seeing the opportunity present itself, only had time to think  _ I’m going to regret this _ before the words were rushing from his mouth. 

 

“So there I was, barbecue sauce on my titties--” 

 

Shuri, perhaps in disbelief or for the actual novelty of acting out the vine, started  _ howling _ . While the Princess dropped to her knees, then her back to start rolling over the imported rug laughing breathlessly. 

 

Tony, for his part, didn’t look concerned or angry, just exhausted. It was as if the last little fleck of youth he had been saving for a special occasion had died in front of him. This was his life now; full of references he didn’t understand and retorts that he could never use. He was old. It was time to face it. 

 

“Go to your room.” Setting aside the fact that he couldn’t believe he’d said that, Tony did his best to stand by it. “Now. Both of you.” 

 

Shuri sat up, her laughter halting suddenly. “What?”

 

“Room. Now. Go.” Tony repeat himself. “Or I’ll send you home today instead of tomorrow.”

 

“ _ What _ _?!_ ” This time both the kids protested. Shuri shot to her feet and Peter was beginning to bring out his puppy-eyes. 

 

“ _ Now _ .” Tony pointed to the elevators. “And take a shower, Peter. Shuri, make sure you’re packed.” 

 

One sad shower and angrily packed suitcase later, Shuri was sitting on her bed in the guest bedroom watching footage from earlier in the day. She would miss New York and the friends she’d made. It had only been a short amount of time, but it wasn’t often that she’d had fun like she did today. The sun was setting past the buildings, sending the shadows dark and long over her window. It looked so similar to home but just different enough to be new and exciting.

 

A scowl graced her features when she thought of Wakanda. She didn’t know what the big deal was; she was the princess, and smart, and could take care of herself. She was just having fun. And no one knew her face, so she wasn’t in any more danger than any normal person. One day, she told herself, she’d come back and see the whole city. 

 

Peter’s contact photo (a picture of his feet sticking out of the trashcan from earlier) popped up on her holoscreen and she swiped it aside to answer. It was just audio so she didn’t see his face.

 

“ _ Shuri _ _?_ ” He was whispering.

 

“Yeah? What’s going on?” She matched his volume and shifted to kneel on the bed. “Why are we whispering?” 

 

“ _ Put on your suit, and meet me on the roof. FRIDAY will give you access. _ ”

 

“What are you--?” But he had already hung up. She scoffed but did as he asked and pulled on the spider suit she’d brought with her. 

 

Once she got up to the roof, the sun was nearly gone and the lights were turning on in the city. Peter was waiting for her in his own suit save the mask. He grinned when he saw her approaching. “Hey, you changed the design!”

 

“Yeah,” Shuri gave a quick spin to show off the new black and white pattern and red symbol on her back. “I decided to get original so people could tell us apart. But anyway, why are we here?” 

 

“Oh yeah!” Peter slid his mask back on. “You only got to see my cruddy high-school while you were here. I wanted to show you more before you went home.” 

 

Shuri processed his words, then grinned. “I’m rubbing off on you.” 

 

“It’s a good thing,” Peter stated with such confidence and assuredness that Shuri’s smile widened to the point where it hurt. “Come on, I’ll show you how to swing in my city!” He stepped up to the edge of the building and waved Shuri over. 

 

She didn’t join him. Instead, she decided to take a running leap off the edge of the building ahead of Spider-Man. “Just call me Anansi!” She called back while she made her first rope of web flawlessly. 

 

Peter whooped and jumped after her. 

 

The city of New York wasn’t as busy at night, but there was still enough people out to recognize Spider-Man and question his new partner. The teenagers ignored them and continued to their destination. 

 

“Ta-da!” Peter sang while gesturing dramatically. “Welcome to Coney Island!” 

 

Shuri stood in awe of the bright neon lights and metal rides. “It’s awesome…” She breathed.  _ This _ is why she had wanted to come to New York: to see the sights and experience something different than her lab day in and day out. She sprinted up the pier. “Race you!” 

 

“No fair!” Peter yelled after her. 

 

It took three whole hours for them to realize the time, and by then they were having too much fun to stop. NObody bothered to question their outfits, because this was New York. The park was closing in twenty minutes, so Peter let Shuri pick the last ride before they went back to the tower. 

 

“Hmmm… That one!” She pointed to the bumper cars stand, which was not crowded at all. 

 

“You sure?” Peter asked skeptically. “There are other--”

 

“Nope! That one!” She dragged him over by the elbow before he could talk her into a cooler, less old ride. 

 

They ended up being the only people on the court, while a bored-looking attendant stood behind a podium. Even two spider-people wasn’t enough to make his job interesting. A rainbow light-show was shining lazily over the cars while Shuri and Peter drove around with their legs hunched up to where their knees were almost touching their shoulders. 

 

“Hey, Shuri!” Peter called and held up his phone. A familiar song began to play through his speakers. 

 

She tossed her head back and laughed, but complied with his unspoken request. She tilted her head back at an awkward angle and held the wheel far to the left so her cart began to spin in place. The song Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders echoed in the empty amusement park, along with two very giddy teen’s laughter, 

 

At last, Shuri slowed down and let her head stop spinning, giggles fading down. Peter put his phone away and leaned over his steering wheel. “I win.” 

 

“What?” Shuri chuckled. 

 

“I win,” he repeated himself. “We agreed on no memes, just vines. You just acted out a meme video, so I win.” 

 

Shuri brought her cart to a halt facing Peter’s. “What did you just say to me?” 

 

Peter suddenly felt doubtful. “I-I win. The Vine-Off.”

 

Shuri stared at him for a moment, her shaded mask unnerving him. Suddenly, she revved her car and floored it right at his side. He yelped before impact, and he skidded sideways into the cage surrounding them. 

 

“Oh, I lose, do I?” Shuri was yelling through a laugh. “I lose because I couldn’t keep it contained, is that what you said? You set me up!” 

 

“It’s not my fault I’m a better Gen-Z than you!” Peter retaliated before slamming into her cart. 

 

Shuri was laughing too hard to reply.

 

* * *

 

The next morning, Shuri boarded a Wakandan stealth jet on the landing pad of Stark Tower. Peter waved her off while Tony slept off a small hangover and conducted a lecture to give Peter about the dangers of sneaking off at night to go to an amusement park at eleven pm. Not to mention it was a school night. 

 

T’Challa could only stand in the jet, arms crossed as he waited for his little sister. She would get the worst of it from their mother, but for the moment he was just glad she was safe. And he couldn’t deny that it was refreshing to see her smiling so much. Maybe when his mother let her leave her room he would let her come to visit again. But for now, she was grounded for the next two months  _ at least _ . 

 

Shuri knew one thing for certain: she would definitely be coming back to New York. She couldn’t let word get out that Spider-Man had beaten her in a Vine-Off, of all things. She had a reputation to maintain, after all. 


End file.
